Friday the 25th
by rholowie
Summary: A department store cashier, a janitor, a pair of twins, and a mysterious hitchhiker are dragged into Camp Crystal Lake while driving home early Christmas morning. Are the stories about a strange psychopath stalking the woods true? They may soon find out.
1. Chapter 1

Friday the 25th : Chapter One

The demented Santa Clause mannequin sitting in the center of _Vera's Fashions_ _and Gifts_ stared blankly out at the crowds that filled the store's aisles. It was Christmas Eve, and hordes of patrons were hoping to snag those last minute Christmas deals, although most of the merchandise had already been picked clean. Margaret Addison, the last cashier on duty that evening, sat gloomily at her position behind the cash register. She was a relatively short woman, with a lanky build and a mound of curly red hair.

"Two minutes until eleven." she sighed, glancing at her watch. "Attention shoppers_, Vera's Fashions and Gifts_ is closing in two minutes. Please bring your purchases to the front of the store," she announced into the telephone beside her. Her voice filtered over the loudspeaker, echoing off the store's festively decorated walls.

However, the shoppers were either not paying attention or simply didn't care. They continued to stroll down aisles at their own leisurely pace, grabbing whatever they could off the racks.

Margaret's face slowly turned into a scowl. She was tired, hungry, and annoyed. It was Christmas Eve, and she wanted to go home. "Either you bring your purchases to the front of the store right now, or you're all getting locked in tonight," she growled, slamming the phone back down. Luckily, the owner and manager had gone home for the evening, saving her from a strict lecture and slap on the wrist.

"Now that's no way to talk to the customers. It'd be a shame if Mr. Wilson found out," smiled a somewhat plump blonde man who had approached the counter. He was dressed in a maintenance uniform and toting a disgustingly murky mop and bucket. His nametag read William Singleton. Leaning over the register, he placed a brief kiss on Margaret's lips, lingering for a second before pulling away.

"If he does, I'll have to file sexual harassment charges," Margaret smiled, seemingly cheered up by William's presence. "So, do you want to come over to my place tonight?"

"Sorry, Margie. I'm driving home for the holydays. My parents are expecting me tomorrow morning," William said sincerely.

"Oh," Margaret sighed, not bothering to try and mask her disappointment, "I guess I'll be spending Christmas alone again."

"Why don't you come with me? It's about time my family met my fiancée," Will smiled, having been forced into the offer by his own culpability

"I don't know. I don't want to impose," Margaret replied, milking as much guilt out of the man as she could.

"You know you can't impose on me. I just have to stop and pick up my cousins, and then we'll all drive up to my folks' house together."

"Oh, alright," Margaret smiled, leaning over and kissing him again.

"Excuse me! We're waiting," huffed a tiny old woman who was at the front of the line of customers that had formed behind William. Apparently, Margaret's warning had gotten through to them.

"Excuse me, ma'am….I'll meet you in the parking lot in a few minutes, Will. Just let me finish up with these customers."

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"Mind if I smoke?" Margaret asked, lighting a cigarette without waiting for a response. She was crammed in the passenger seat of Will's rickety old car, which was driving down the highway at least four miles above the speed limit. Snow had begun to pour down from the dark sky, almost completely obscuring William's vision.

Will's cousins, Danielle and Nicolas Urban, were squeezed in the backseat. The two were twins in every sense of the word, with the same long face and protruding nose. Their hair was dark and stringy, and they both seemed to be terribly allergic to Margaret, as they hadn't stopped sneezing since they got into the vehicle.

"I don't mind," Danielle and Nicolas said, almost in complete unison. However, they rather despised second-hand smoke and wished Margaret would stop.

"I mind," Will said. "You keep puffing in my face."

"Oh, shut up. You think it's sexy," Margaret smiled, blowing a deluge of smoke from between her teeth.

William coughed, rolling down the window, "You can't do this at my parents' house. They'll kick you out."

"Oh fine, I'll get rid of it," Margie sighed, rolling down her own window and tossing out what was left of her cigarette. The car was now speeding down a heavily wooded section of road, its headlights barely able to break the ethereal darkness that seemed to engulf the automobile and its passengers.

"We're near Camp Crystal Lake," Nicolas noted, looking out the window.

"Do we have to talk about that?" William asked, slightly groaning.

"Talk about what?" Margaret asked, quite interested.

"Back in the eighties, a bunch of kids were killed around here. One of the killers was never caught…He's supposed to still be out there, waiting," Danielle said, trying to sound sinister, but the effect was ruined when she sneezed in the middle of her sentence.

"Spooky," Margaret bit her lip, looking out the window. A figure stood in the distance, on the side of the road. However, it was much too dark to make out any defining features other than a human silhouette. "Hey, pull over. It's a hitchhiker."

"Are you nuts? I'm not picking up a hitchhiker," William protested, speeding up slightly.

"We can't just leave them standing out here in this weather. How would you feel if that was you? Besides, they look like they're just a teenager," Margaret frowned.

"I'm not pulling over," Will retorted, shaking his head.

"Why? Afraid it's the Camp Crystal Lake Killer?" Marge teased.

"No."

"Then pull over."

"Fine! Just get off my back," William shouted, pulling over to the side of the road. He hadn't even realized exactly what he was doing, but now it was too late. He wanted to drive away, but the stranger was already climbing into the backseat.

"Hey. Thanks for pulling over. My car broke down, down the road. I was afraid I was going to freeze to death." smiled a pretty blonde teenager. She was bundled up in a snow cap and overly puffy jacket. "I tried to walk, but it's impossible to get anywhere in this snow. My name's Kelli, by the way."

"Hey, Kelli." Margaret smiled warmly, looking back at the newcomer, away from whom Danielle was trying to inch. "I'm Margaret. This is Will, Danielle, and Nick."

Kelli smiled brightly and greeted each passenger, although Margaret seemed to be the only one to welcome her presence.

"So, Kelli, where are you headed?" Will asked, starting back down the road.

"Just into town," the girl replied, looking out the window.

"Going home for Christmas?" Margaret asked, taking out another cigarette.

"I guess you could say that," Kelli shrugged.

"Mysterious. You wouldn't happen to be the Camp Crystal Lake Killer, would you?" Margie chuckled, lighting up.

"I just might be," Kelli smiled, winking. Suddenly, someone ran across the road, directly in front of the car.

"Shit," William yelled, pulling the steering wheel as the automobile swerved off the empty highway. Margaret screamed as the vehicle lost control. Within seconds, the world faded away, as the darkness seemed to pull the tumbling vehicle and its unfortunate prisoners into the foreboding forest.

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**I hope you enjoyed Chapter 1. Keep an eye out for Chapter 2! Hopefully, the entire story will be out before Christmas. **


	2. Chapter 2

Friday the 25th: Chapter Two

Margaret gently opened her eyes, groaning. She could feel blood trickling from an open wound above her left eye. The world itself seemed to have disappeared. Four figures loomed over her, their vague faces blending in with the surrounding darkness. A light shined in the distance, hovering just above one of the shadows' waists. Snow trickled down upon Margaret's face, freezing her skin with each touch.

"You're alive," said one of the silhouettes. His voice was peculiarly familiar, yet so far away that Margaret's mind could not grasp it.

"Wha…What happened?" Margaret croaked, startled by her own voice.

"We crashed. Can you stand up?" said the same voice. Margaret finally realized it was Will. Whimpering, she allowed him to help her to her feet as reality slowly shifted back into focus. Danielle, Kelli, and Nick were all huddled together near the car, which was turned on its side. As Margaret slowly gathered herself, she realized the strange light came from a flashlight clutched in Danielle's hand. Nicolas was being supported by his sister, his leg apparently injured.

"I'm fine," Margaret nodded, letting go of her boyfriend, "What happened?"

"Something ran out in the road," Will shook his head, "and I lost control. I don't even know how long we were knocked out for. How's your head?" Will brought his hand up and examined Margaret's injury as Danielle shined the flashlight in Margaret's face.

"How is it?" Margaret asked.

"Well, the bleeding's stopped, at least. But we have to get out of these woods and get to a hospital," Will frowned.

"Which way's the road?" Kelli asked, looking around as her boots crunched on the newly fallen snow.

"This way," William said, starting toward his left.

"I'm pretty sure it was this way," Kelli protested, pointing in the other direction.

"We're lost, aren't we?" Nick asked, supporting himself heavily on Danielle's shoulder.

"No," Will tried to reassure both Nick and himself.

"Well, I'm going this way," Margaret said, staring in a random direction. Her high heels were apparently giving her difficulty while she trudged through the snow.

"I'm game," Kelli shrugged, starting after her.

"What makes you think that's the way?" Nicolas called after the two.

"Women's intuition," Margaret called back, disappearing into the shadowy trees. With little else to do, the three stragglers hurried to catch up.

"I don't like this," Danielle frowned, peering into the dense foliage around her.

"It could be worse," Kelli looked up at the sky, a snowflake landing softly on her nose. Margaret nodded, though it was pointless in the inky blackness.

"See anything up there?" Danielle asked in Marge's general direction.

"You tell me. You have the flashlight," she retorted, snickering as if she had been very clever.

"No need to be snippy," Danielle grunted back, struggling with Nicolas's weight. Margaret was ready to comment on the word 'snippy', but was distracted as a building seemed to materialize out of thin air.

"Hey! There's a building up here!" Kelli called, beckoning those who were straggling behind.

"What is it?" William asked, jogging forward. However, he tripped on an exposed root and landed on his face.

"Looks like an old latrine," Margaret called, stepping inside the rotten wooden construction. Kelli helped Will to his feet, and the group huddled together in the doorway.

"Just some old toilets and showers," Marge sighed as Danielle washed the flashlight beam over the interior.

"Is that blo…blood?" Danielle asked, shivering as she froze the beam on a large brown stain smeared across a shower curtain in the back of the room.

"Yeah, right. It's a bathroom. It's probably shit," Margaret rolled her eyes. Nicolas sneezed, peering into the room.

"I think I know where we are," he said, sneezing again.

"Where?" Kelli asked, walking over to the stained curtain. She seemed strangely fascinated by it.

"Camp Crystal Lake. One of the victims….they found her body in one of the shower stalls."

"Spooky," Margaret said, sounding somewhat mystified.

"Let's get out of here," Danielle suggested, "We have to find our way back to civilization."

"Where not getting anywhere in this snow," Margaret shook her head, "and besides, it's pitch dark out there."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Will asked, sounding slightly sarcastic.

"Find some cabins. Wait for the storm to pass," Margie shrugged.

"Weird…that actually makes sense," William agreed, as much as he would rather not have.

"No. I am not staying here. People were_ killed_ here," Danielle squeaked.

"Then have fun freezing to death in the woods," Margaret said coldly, starting back out the door.

"She's right," Nick frowned.

"I don't want to stay here," Danielle sneezed in her brother's face.

"We'll freeze out there in the woods….It's our best bet," Nicolas shook his head, seemingly unaffected by the mucus that now coated his head.

"Oh, fine," Danielle sighed, following glumly as the group walked back out into the snow. Margaret was once again leading the way, beckoning the others over to a group of tiny cabins.

"Me and Will will take that one," Margaret decided, picking the largest, least worn building.

"I think we should all stay in one," William said, looking at the everyone for approval.

"Me too," Danielle nodded.

"Will, you moron," Margaret sighed softly, inaudible to everyone but Kelli.

"Then it's settled, we'll all stay in this one. Unless, of course, you want your own, Kelli," Will nodded.

"I don't mind sharin'," the hitchhiker nodded, enjoying a laugh at Marge's expense.

"Whatever," Marge sighed, pushing her way into the cabin. The interior was dark and gloomy, with old furniture and no electricity. A large fireplace dominated the room, a moose head hanging morbidly above it.

"Home, sweet, home," Danielle frowned, looking around,

"Why don't you and Will go look for some firewood? Me and Kelli can stay here and look for a first aid kit," Margaret said, looking back at her.

"They won't find any wood. It'll all be soaked by the snow," Nick stated, allowing his sister to lower him onto a sofa.

"Well, then we'll burn these sheets," Margaret sighed, pulling a stained sheet off one of the beds. She began tearing the sheet into shreds, shoving them into the hearth as she searched her purse for her cigarette lighter.

"Guys…I saw something out the window," Kelli said suddenly, staring blankly out a fogged up windowpane.

"It's called snow," Margaret snorted, finally withdrawing her lighter.

"No. It looked like a person," Kelli shook her head.

"I think we should leave," Danielle frowned.

"Calm down." Marge called, lighting up the blanket. "We have fire."

"It's kind of cozy in here, I guess," Nick said, forcing a smile.

"Yeah…cozy," Danielle sneezed, sitting down beside him.

"What do we do now?" William asked, laying down on one of the empty beds.

"Anything but scary stories," Danielle frowned at him.

"I think we should all pray we get out of here alive," Marge winked. However, she was blissfully unaware of how correct she was.

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**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Stay tuned for part 3. **


	3. Chapter 3

Friday the 25th: Chapter 3

Danielle sneezed, still curled up on the old cabin sofa. The group had been sitting, huddled together, for about half an hour. The fire was already dying, having been given little fuel to burn.

"I'm cold," Danielle whined, cuddling up against Nick. Nick smiled weakly at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"Join the club," Margaret looked over, absentmindedly playing with her cigarette lighter. She flicked it open, only to snap it shut again, mesmerized by the tiny flame.

"Well, don't we have anything left to burn?" Danielle asked.

"We can shove you in the fireplace," Marge smiled cheekily.

"There's no need to be cruel, hon," William sighed, sitting up on the bed. He looked apologetically over at his cousins.

"I'm sorry, Danielle," Margaret sighed, although the apology was apparently forced. "Now, come on, Will. Let's go to bed."

"We are in bed," William said, looking down at the dirty mattress upon which they both sat.

"No…I mean, _bed_," Margaret smiled, rubbing her arms across his jacket flirtatiously. She didn't care who was looking. "We can go to one of the other cabins…Light up another fire."

"I don't know," Will whispered, his face bright red. He was afraid the others might overhear the conversation.

"Please? It's Christmas, and I didn't even get a present," Margie pouted, looking at him with pleading eyes.

"Oh, fine. Let's go," William nodded, standing up. "Um…Margie and I are going to sleep. We'll see you all in the morning."

"Oh. Have fun 'sleeping'," Nick winked.

"You're leaving us here, alone? With her?" Danielle choked, pointing a finger at Kelli, who had fallen asleep across the room.

"Well, if you stay awake all night, she can't sneak up on you," Margaret smiled, shoving her boyfriend out into the snow. Chuckling, she slammed the door shut. The two of them trudged through the mounting slush, Marge still struggling with her heels. The storm, however, showed no signs of stopping.

"I think we should stay together as a group," Will said, although his voice was muffled by the wind.

"Fine. I don't mind doing it in front of everyone. I just thought you'd want some privacy," Margaret grinned, showing her tiny white teeth.

"You know what I meant."

"Oh, be quiet. This one looks cozy," Margaret said, pushing open the door to a tiny, weathered cabin. The inside was cramped and dusty, with a single bed against the back wall. Unfortunately, there was no fireplace.

"It's freezing in here," William frowned, closing the door as he and Margaret entered the building.

"Good thing I know how to heat things up," the woman winked, sitting down on the bed. She unzipped her coat, tossing it on the floor. "Now come here, tiger."

William couldn't help but smile. Sighing, he sat down beside her. "Merry Christmas," he said softly.

"Merry Christmas," Margaret smiled, slowly unbuttoning his coat.

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Danielle quietly paced back and forth, looking at the ceiling. Nicholas had fallen asleep a while ago. However, Danielle hadn't a clue how much time had passed since Margaret and Will left. Bizarre shadows danced across the walls, giving her an eerie feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"We should've just kept walking," she sighed, sitting down on a bed. Snow beat down on the windowpanes, releasing heaven's almighty fury upon the structure of the cabin. Kelli stirred in the corner, her eyes fluttering open.

"Is it morning yet?" Kelli asked, yawning.

"No," Danielle shook her head.

"Well, good night, then," the hitchhiker shrugged, lying her head back down.

"Night," Danielle whispered, turning her attention to the window. Her stomach hurt, and she desperately needed to use the bathroom. She'd held it in all night, wary about traveling out to the latrine alone. She'd contemplated waking Nick up, but he could barely walk. Asking Kelli to go with her was also an option, but Danielle was afraid she would corner her in the woods and attack her, or worse. And then there was Will or Margaret, but that decision possessed the risk of walking in on them "in flagrante delicto."

"Guess I'm on my own," Danielle sighed, giving in and standing up. She looked over at her brother, who was still snoring peacefully. She scooped up the flashlight and started for the door, clicking on the beam. Taking a deep breath, the girl hurried out into the falling snow.

She breathlessly trudged through the blanket of white which covered the forest floor. The flashlight wasn't of much help, but she could luckily make out the old latrine in the distance.

"Thank God it's winter," Danielle murmured to herself, her teeth chattering. At least in the winter, there were no wild animals running about. However, that fact didn't soothe Danielle's mind, which was filled to the brim with dark forebodings. As much as she wanted to turn back and run for the relative safety of the cabin, her bladder was driving her forward.

Panting, she hurried into the old building, running into the last stall along the row of toilets. With a sigh of relief, she lowered herself onto the dirty bowl, placing the flashlight on the ground. She didn't seem to care how unsanitary the whole place was. Once she had finished, she found that the toilet wouldn't flush.

"Oh well. Not my problem," she sighed, however her voice was cut off suddenly by the muffled sound of feet. Danielle heard someone moving in the building. Slow, heavy footsteps creaked across the wooden floor. The frightened girl held her breath, balancing herself clumsily on the toilet rim. She scooped up the flashlight, clutching it to her bosom. Something was wrong. She could feel it in her gut.

The footsteps continued to sound throughout the room, pausing every few seconds. A door would slowly open, slam shut, and then the phantom footsteps would continue. Danielle realized the intruder was moving down the row of stalls, checking each one before moving on.

_"How many stalls were there? Six? Seven?"_ Danielle thought silently, counting on her fingers. Nonetheless, she knew the person was getting closer. She slowly lowered herself down off the toilet, nudging open the stall door just enough for her to peer out. A large, hulking shadow was standing merely two booths away. Something long and shaped rather like an axe was clutched in his behemoth hands. All at once, Danielle's primal instinct kicked in. She burst out of the confining stall, shrieking like a banshee. Without looking back, she ran for the door, leaving the mysterious figure too dumbfounded to immediately give chase.

The world had become a blur. Danielle felt herself trudging through the snow. She was running for what she thought was life itself, but dared not look back to see if she was being chased.

"Which way? Which way?" she moaned. Every tree looked familiar, every path the same. Dread tugged at her heart as she realized she was hopelessly lost. She leaned against a tree to catch her breath. The flashlight barely seemed to penetrate the looming darkness surrounding her. Suddenly, her pursuer emerged from the foliage, his face clad in a hockey mask. He raised the axe, swinging it at his victim's cranium.

With a shriek, Danielle ducked, the weapon becoming stuck in the tree bark. As the stranger struggled to free it, Danielle slammed the heavy flashlight into the side of his head, a desperate attack in a desperate situation. She could feel blood on her hands, but she didn't know if her desperate blow had done any real damage. Without thinking, she began running back into the woods, without a light to guide her.

"Help me! Somebody!" she screamed, although she may have been doing nothing more than alerting her assailant to her position. However, Danielle was ignorant of the fact that she was running away from the camp, rather than toward the cabin.

Out of breath, she leaned against a rotted tree stump to rest. The cold air was piercing her lungs like a dagger. Suddenly, this brief moment was cut short as the masked man emerged from a nearby patch of trees. Danielle screamed again, running further into the woods. However, she felt a sharp tug around her neck, as her scarf was yanked by the stranger. Toppling backward, she landed in the snow.

Tears welled up in Danielle's eyes as she stared up at the mystifying figure. Tiny snowflakes continued to fall from the heavens, landing softly on her pale face.

"Please. Let me go," she pleaded softly. However, the axe was swung down, and within seconds, the pure white snow was stained red.

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**I hope you liked this chapter! Stay tuned for Chapter 4! **


	4. Chapter 4

Friday the 25th: Chapter Four

"Stop….Will, stop," Margaret giggled as her boyfriend tenderly moved his lips along her neck.

"Why?" William asked, wrapping his arms more tightly around her.

"I need a cigarette," Margaret sighed, literally shoving him off the bed. "Where's my purse?"

"How should I know?" Will asked, standing up and rubbing the back of his head. "…I think you gave me a concussion."

"Oh, hush…I think I left it in the other cabin," the woman groaned, trying to hook the front of her bra.

"Need some help?" her boyfriend asked, eagerly sitting beside her.

"You're not getting your hands anywhere near me until I have my cigarette," Marge stood up, throwing her shirt back on. "I'll be right back."

"You want me to come with you?" William asked, pulling on his own shirt.

"No…Wait here…and keep the bed warm," Margaret smiled, running her fingers under his chin. Without waiting for him to react, she turned away and bustled out into the cold. The snow was finally beginning to stop, although mounds of it covered every visible inch of the ground. Margaret shivered, wrapping her arms around her tiny frame. She painstakingly trudged toward the other cabin, where Nick, Danielle, and Kelli were hopefully asleep.

Finally reaching the door, Margaret tripped over her heels as she landed against the cabin's wooden structure. "Damn snow. Damn it to hell," she muttered, rubbing her throbbing shoulder. Moaning and cursing under her breath, she pushed the door open, squinting in the darkness. Nick was still snoring peacefully on the sofa, but Kelli had moved to one of the beds.

"Who's missing?" Marge yawned, scooping her purse of the floor. However, she froze as she heard the door to the building creak open behind her. Peering over her shoulder, she saw the figure of a man hunched in the doorway.

"Ahhh!" she yelped, jumping backward.

"What?" Will asked, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.

"Will! You ass! You scared the hell out of me," Margaret snapped, sitting down and fishing a cigarette out of her bag. Her hand was still trembling as she brought it to her lips.

"Where's Danielle?" William asked, looking around the room.

"How the hell should I know?"

William, however, ignored her. He moved to the sofa and began shaking Nick's shoulder, "Hey, Nick, get up. Where's Danielle?"

"No…Ten more minutes," Nick groaned, swatting at his cousin's hand.

"Nick. Wake up!" William persisted.

"Let me do it," Margaret said, walking over. She slapped Nick across the head with her handbag, which happened to be rather heavy.

"Ow! What was that for?" Nick asked, looking foggily around the room. He apparently hadn't realized by whom or by what he had been hit.

"Danielle's gone. Do you know where she went?" Will whispered as to not awaken the sleeping form of Kelli.

"I don't know…Maybe to the bathroom?" Nick suggested, slowly regaining his senses. However, a sudden piercing pain shot through his leg and made him wince.

"I'll go look for her," William said. "You wait here, Marge, and keep an eye on that leg of his."

"No. I'll go look for her," Margaret said, blowing smoke through her teeth.

"Why?" Will asked.

"You can't just go into the bathroom while a girl's in there!"

"Why not?"

"She might be having that special thing girl's have once a month," Margaret nodded. "….And I want to sneak up on her and scare the hell out of her."

"Well, I don't feel comfortable sending you out there alone," William frowned.

"Don't worry. I'll bring her," she said, tapping Kelli on the shoulder.

"What?" Kelli asked, sitting up. She seemed unusually bright and alert for someone had just been forced out of her sleep.

"We have to go look for Danielle," Margaret said.

"Why?"

"Because she's missing," Margaret said. "Why else?"

"I mean, why me?" Kelli said, looking at her intently.

"Because you can't send men to look for a girl who's probably going to the bathroom."

"Oh…good logic," Kelli stood up, sarcasm ringing in her voice. She yawned and silently straightened her knotted hair.

"Well, come on," Margaret said, pulling her toward the door.

"I really think I should come," William said, looking after the pair of women.

"You have to stay and keep Nick company," Marge protested. "He's your cousin, so he's your problem."

"I resent that," Nick sneezed. "I'm not a problem."

"Whatever you say, Sneezey," Marge grinned, she and Kelli shuffling out into the dark.

"Why are we even looking for her? She'll come back on her own," Kelli sighed.

"I don't know. Because Will's a worry wart," Marge shrugged. "Did you hear her leave?"

"She was awake about two hours ago," Kelli tried to remember. "I woke up and she told me to go back to sleep. I heard the door slam about five minutes later…maybe."

"So, she's been missing for two hours. Maybe she got eaten by a bear," Margaret mused, quite enjoying that thought. She looked up at the sky, which was still dreadfully dark and gloomy

"There's no bears in the winter."

"Oh, fine, ruin my fun," Margaret rolled her eyes, tossing the stub of her cigarette onto the ground.

"Sorry," Kelli sighed. "There's the latrine."

"I have eyes, you know," Margaret then rolled those aforementioned eyes.

"Don't be a bitch, okay?"

"I can be whatever I want to be. We're your ride home, remember? Deal with it."

Kelli grudgingly closed her mouth, moving silently ahead. She reached the bathroom before Margaret did, and slowly walked inside.

"Danielle?" she called, her voice echoing through the musty room. However, she received no response.

"Is she in here?" Margaret asked, stepping inside the building.

"I don't know. She's didn't answer when I called. Check the showers. I'll check the stalls," Kelli shrugged, heading for the row of toilets.

"Why do I have to check the nasty showers? People washed their disgusting, hairy bodies in here…" Margaret frowned, peeking behind one of the shower curtains. "Danielle…Ahhh!"

"What!? Why are you screaming?" Kelli jogged over.

"There's a dead spider in here," Margaret frowned.

"Ugh. Don't be such a baby," Kelli sighed.

"The thing's huge. Look at it. It's the size of your head," Margaret exaggerated. "She's not in here. Can we leave?"

"Did you check that one?" Kelli pointed, looking directly at the shower with the stained curtain.

"No. I'm not touching the crap stain. Besides, she would've answered if she was in here. Can we just leave?"

"We have to find her, don't we? Where can she be if she's not in here?" Kelli asked, walking over to the tarnished shower curtain.

"I don't know. Maybe she slipped on some ice and broke her neck," Margaret suggested.

"That's not nice."

"I never claimed to be nice," Margaret sighed, moving beside her companion. "Aren't you going to open it?"

"Yeah…I just. I have a bad feeling."

"See? You don't want to touch the crap either," Margaret smiled triumphantly, as if she had just proven something.

"No…it's just….I don't know. A bad feeling," Kelli was still gripping the curtain, ready to pull it back.

"Maybe it's indigestion."

Kelli rolled her eyes and slowly pulled the curtain back. "Ah…Ah…"

"Oh…God," Margaret stepped backward. Closing her eyes, she moved into the corner and began to vomit.

"Oh…" Kelli moved away, unable to bring her eyes away from the shower stall. For within, the headless, mangled corpse of what was once Danielle sat horribly against the wooden wall.


	5. Chapter 5

Friday the 25th: Chapter 5

Margaret kneeled on the cold, latrine floor, shaking her head as she stared down at her own vomit. "What did this?" she moaned to nobody in particular, shakily forcing herself to stand up. She looked back into the shower stall, nausea welling up in her throat once more.

"I…I don't know…Oh, God. It's horrible," Kelli shielded her own eyes, resisting her stomach's urge to upchuck.

"Just close the curtain… I can't look at it," Margaret stepped wearily away, still supporting herself on the wall. Kelli hurriedly pulled the stained yellow curtain closed, hiding Danielle's corpse. She hurriedly leaned against a wall, before closing her eyes to catch her breath.

"What did this?" Margaret repeated, looking at Kelli intently.

"I told you I don't know."

"Well….Maybe it was you! You were with her….you could've done it," Marge pointed her finger accusingly at the shivering teenager.

"Me? Why me? I barely knew the girl. Besides, I was asleep…" Kelli stammered. "Maybe it was you!"

"Me? I was with Will!" Margaret protested. She looked about ready to land a right hook in Kelli's face.

"Look! It doesn't matter! We have to get out of here," Kelli breathed, wearily walking for the door. "Who cares who or what did it? We have to get the boys and go to the police."

"Oh…Lord. What if whatever did this is still in here….Watching us?" Margaret whispered, choking on her own words. She carefully moved behind Kelli, resisting the urge to dart out into the woods.

"I....I never thought of that…" Kelli admitted softly, looking over her shoulder into the dark bathroom. Her eyes rested on the bloodstained shower stall, which caused her to look promptly away.

Margaret walked out into the snow, whispering, "Let's…Let's just….go. We have to get out of here." Kelli swiftly moved beside her as the two shuffled out into the wintery darkness. They stared out into the foliage surrounding them, watching and listening for whatever diabolic monster had murdered Danielle. However, neither could bring themselves to run, their wobbly legs having become defiant.

"There's the cabin…Let's sprint," Kelli said, grasping Margaret's hand and pulling her forward. Margaret simply didn't bother to resist, her mind still filled to the brim with ghastly images of corpses and death. She mumbled to herself under her breath, a sign of her fleeting sanity, small bits of which seemed to slip away with each passing second.

"What if they're dead?" Margaret wondered aloud, surprised by the hoarseness of her own voice. She shook her head, desperately trying to rid herself of that thought.

"Don't even ask that, okay?" Kelli mumbled. Even if she barely knew these people, she didn't intend on spending Christmas stumbling upon corpse after corpse.

The two had been doing their best to jog through the snow, although Margaret's heels were giving them much resistance. Breaking the night's silence, Margaret suddenly whimpered as a nearby bush rustled.

"Hush, would you? It's just the wind," Kelli breathed, although she sounded quite unsure of herself. The two stopped in front of the cabin door, breathing heavily from exhaustion, nausea, and pure terror.

"You can let go of my hand now," Margaret pulled away from the other girl, resting her hand on the cabin door. She found that she was afraid to open it, should Nick and William be lying, slaughtered, inside. Biting her lip, she pushed the door slowly open, bracing herself in case anything jumped out at them. Nothing did.

"See? They're fine," Kelli stepped inside. The room looked gratefully normal. There were no bloodstains, and there were thankfully no corpses. Nick was still sound asleep, peacefully slumped against the back of the sofa with his back to the doorway. William too had apparently fallen asleep, curled up under the sheets on one of the beds.

"Thank God," Margaret almost laughed at herself, hurriedly shutting the door. "Come on, you two, wake up. We have to get out of here. Now." The two boys remained motionless, seemingly oblivious to Marge's presence. At that moment, Kelli realized how horribly silent the room was. The quietness merely made her stomach churn.

"Come on! Get up," Margaret walked over to Nick and looked ready to slap him across the face again. "We have to get out of here! Danielle…She's dead!" The woman grasped the sleeping man's shoulder and shook him roughly, attempting to startle him out of his sleep. With a sickening crunching sound, Nicolas's head rolled off his shoulders, leaving nothing but a bloody stump of a neck. The head then rolled off the sofa, landing at Margaret's feet and staring up at her with wide, startled eyes.

"Ahhh!" Margaret released a bloodcurdling shriek, moving backward and tripping over her own feet. Before she knew it, she was lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling and whimpering to herself. She'd twisted her ankle on the way down.

"Come on, get up," Kelli urged, running over and pulling the fallen woman to her feet. "We have to get out of this place."

"Will…Where's Will?" Margaret cried, glistening tears streaming down her pale cheeks. In unison, the two girls focused their attention on the bed, on which the sleeping figure had begun to stir.

"Will?" Kelli asked, pulling the now limping Margaret toward the door. She had another bad feeling. Her stomach twisted into knots as dread slowly clawed its way into her throat.

The figure threw the sheets off in a furor, sitting bolt upright on the bed. Margaret screamed at the hockey mask clad man staring back at her from across the room. However, her eyes moved away from his face, stopping sickeningly on the bloodied axe gripped in his hands. Slowly, the stranger rose from the bed, raising the horrible weapon menacingly in his fists.

"Run!" Kelli yelled, although Marge barely heard her. She was much too busy trembling and screaming. Kelli looked up with wide eyes, grabbing Margaret's wrist and dragging her toward the exit. She pulled open the door, and with that, the two of them were running and shrieking into the unfamiliar forest.

"Oh, my God…Oh my God," Margaret repeated over and over. Her ankle hurt, and she could barely walk, let alone run. Her shoes weren't helping much either. However, Kelli was determinedly dragging her along.

"Stop screaming….He'll hear us," Kelli whispered, out of breath. The trees seemed to be closing in on them, their branches outreached like clawed hands.

"Oh God…It was a monster…Did you see it? Oh God," Margaret whined, unable to calm herself down. "Where's Will? What did he do to Will?"

"Will's going to be fine," Kelli reassured, although she doubted the very words she had just uttered. She knew Will wouldn't be fine, and neither would the two of them if they didn't keep running.

"Is that _thing _following us?" Margaret looked over her shoulder, seeing nothing but blackness and trees.

"I don't know. Just keep moving," Kelli demanded, trying to mask her own terror for both Margaret's and her own sake. If Marge had decided to become a blubbering imbecile, she would have to be the strong one.

"I hear something," Margaret abruptly said, tears still rolling down her cheeks. Sure enough, something crunched behind them. "…Footsteps."

"Just keep running! Damnit! And shut up, while you're at it," Kelli grasped the girl's hand tighter in her own, pushing her legs to run faster than they possibly could. Margaret, however, had seemingly been tamed, as she clamped her mouth shut and allowed herself to be pulled obediently along.

However, the footsteps were now in front of them, circling around in the surrounding foliage. Kelli froze, unsure of which direction to go. Now, they were on their stalker's turf. He could be anywhere, watching them from any angle.

Suddenly, Marge brought her hand to her mouth and screamed again. In the murky darkness ahead of them, a hulking shadow was running manically through the trees.

**--------------**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. There's only one or two more to go until the finale. Stay tuned, and thanks for your support. **


	6. Chapter 6

Friday the 25th: Chapter Six

Kelli felt every muscle in her body tense as she stared at the figure running at them through the trees. The world seemed to have faded away into oblivion, leaving nothing but darkness and her inhuman pursuer. Margaret's screaming disappeared. The blistering cold of the snow had disappeared. There was nothing left but Kelli, who was staring into the very face of death itself.

Within seconds, her senses began to return to her. First, she could hear Margaret's horrible wails again. Next, she could finally see her bloodstained attacker emerge from the trees ahead of them. With a sudden burst of strength, Kelli brought up her first and punched the approaching shadow square in the jaw.

"Will!" Margaret yelled, relieved. She bent down to the ground, where Kelli's punch had knocked him.

"Oh, I thought you were…Never mind," Kelli sighed, bending down and helping Will to his feet. The man was bleeding from a wound in his leg, and blood had been splattered across his ripped jacket.

"Will…Will…..thought you were dead. Will," Margaret clung to him, apparently having lost the ability to speak in complete sentences.

"You two are okay. Did you see that _thing_?" Will asked, breathing heavily. "I'm so glad I found you. We have to get out of here. He got Daniel and Nick." He rubbed his jaw, where Kelli had hit him.

"We know, baby. We saw. It was awful," Margaret had started crying, still clutching to William.

"I'd hate to break this wonderful reunion up, but we have to keep moving," Kelli said, looking around nervously. She knew the maniac could be anywhere.

"We don't even know where we are," Margaret reminded her, frowning bitterly. "We're all going to die, out here in the cold." She then proceeded to sob overdramatically.

"I liked you a lot better when you were a bitch," Kelli said, starting back into the foliage.

"She's right. We can't stay here," Will whispered, limping after her. He dragged Margaret along by the arm, whispering comforting words in her ear. However, she showed no signs of calming down any time soon.

"We don't even know where that psychopath is. We could be going right toward him," Margaret frowned, shivering. Tears glistened like snowflakes on her pale cheeks.

"Do you have a batter plan?" Kelli looked over her shoulder.

"No."

"Then stop whining."

"I'll whine if I want to whine. It's a free country. Right, Will?"

"Don't start fighting, please," Will sighed. "Two of my cousins are dead…on Christmas. Oh God." Suddenly, he looked rather dazed as the night's events played through his head like a silent film.

"Look. Now you made him upset," Margaret yelled at Kelli. "You know, all this happened when we picked you up on that road."

"Don't you even dare blame this on me! I was fine until I met any of you. I'd rather still be up on that road freezing my ass off, then standing here in the middle of nowhere!"

"Stop yelling!" Will said. "He'll hear you."

"I'm not yelling!" Kelli breathed.

"Yes, you are," Margaret frowned.

"So are you," Kelli grumbled.

"It's a free country! I'll yell if I want to yell!"

"We're not going to start this all over, are we?" Kelli asked, almost tripping over an exposed tree root.

"Shut up, you two," Will snapped. "We need to stick together if any of us want to make it out of this alive." Each girl grudgingly shut her mouth, resorting to glancing dirtily at the other every few seconds.

"Women," William grumbled under his breath.

"What did you say?" Margaret asked, still squeezing the poor boy's arm.

"Nothing."

The thick layer of surrounding trees was becoming thinner with each passing minute. The sun was rising in the distance, casting an eerie glow over the dense wood. They seemed to wander for hours, aimlessly walking through the trees and hoping they'd accidently stumble upon civilization.

"I think we're near the road," Kelli called over her shoulder, trying her best to navigate without tripping and landing on her face.

"How can you tell?" William asked.

"I can see the end of the trees," Kelli hadn't realized she's wandered so far ahead, and she paused to allow Will and Margaret to catch up.

"Thank God," Margaret mumbled. She had become a wreck, her mascara and lip liner having melted down into dark streaks along her face. She was still sniffling quietly to herself, shivering every few moments.

"Calm down, honey. We're almost out of this," Will tried to smile, though his lips seemed to have permanently been set into an obscure cross between a scream and a frown.

"I hope so. What if it's not the road? What if it's a trap?"

"It's not a trap. I promise," William nodded, though his mind had been plagued with the same unpleasant thoughts.

"Don't make promises like that," Margaret looked up at him.

William sighed, though he suddenly yelped as pain shot through his wounded leg.

"Maybe we should rest for a bit. It seems safe enough," Kelli looked around, infinitely grateful for the light provided by the early morning sun.

"Yeah," Will nodded, sitting down on a nearby rotted log.

"Let me take a look at that leg," Kelli said, kneeling beside him. "It's infected."

"Oh, no shit, Sherlock," Margaret frowned, having seemingly been able to regain her personality. Both Will and Kelli, however, were thankful that she wasn't screaming or crying anymore.

"It's fine. I can walk again in a few minutes," William shook his head, ignoring his girlfriend. "It's just a scratch. I tripped and landed on rock, that's all."

"Are you sure?" Kelli asked.

"I'm sure," William nodded. "You don't need to be so concerned."

"I just don't want to see anyone else get hurt," Kelli admitted, smiling weakly.

"Oh, why don't you two just get a room?" Margaret snapped, slumping onto the log. Since she didn't have a cigarette, she began biting on her fingernails.

"We're just talking," Kelli looked at her.

"Well, stop talking to my boyfriend."

"You don't own him."

"Don't start!" Will said, forcing himself to stand up. "Come on. Let's keep going."

"Fine," Kelli said, heading off into the same direction they had been walking. Margaret grabbed Will and followed, mumbling to herself.

"Can you see the road?" Will asked.

"I see….Oh no," Kelli groaned, stepping out into the clearing. She realized they had been walking in a circle, and were now standing back at the camp. The three of them emerged near the lake, most of which had frozen over during the storm.

"Look. It looks like there's a road that way," William pointed. He genuinely smiled for the first time in hours. The snow had completely hidden the ground however, concealing anything that might have been a path or thoroughfare.

"Yeah, I think you're right," Kelli nodded. "We're almost out of here." She couldn't help but smile from pure relief. "Come on."

The three of them walked along the snowy shore of the lake, casting nervous glances around every few seconds.

"Did you see that?" Margaret asked unexpectedly.

"See what?" Kelli looked at her.

"I saw something moving under the ice," the redhead whined, inching away from the water's edge. "And, no, it wasn't a fish!"

"I don't see anything," William said, walking over to examine the frosty surface of the water.

"Get away from there," Margaret called, running over to drag him away.

However, she was much too late. Time suddenly seemed to slow to a crawl, and the world seemed to be playing in slow motion. Margaret and Kelli stared in twisted horror, trying to hold back their own screams.

First, William shrieked as a shadow moved under the ice, causing him to trip backward and land in the snow. Without warning, an awful hand burst through the icy surface with demonic strength, grasping the screaming man by the ankle of his weak leg. Rapidly, the ice broke apart, revealing the shimmering, thrashing black water beneath it.

Clawing with all his might, William searched for something to grab onto. However, there was nothing but layers of soft, fluffy snow. With a final gurgled scream, he was dragged down into the murky depths as the water of Crystal Lake slowly became a horrible shade of bloody red.

**------------**

**Well, I hope you enjoyed chapter six. Maybe one more after this one. Only two girls left. Who will survive? :P **


	7. Finale

Friday the 25th: Finale

Margaret fell forward and landed on her knees, staring blankly at the red water. Kelli was screaming at her, but her ears seemed to have decided to stop working. All she could hear was the cracking of the ice and Will's final scream, playing over and over in her mind like a broken record. However, she was shaken back into reality by Kelli's firm hands grabbing her shoulders.

"Come on," Kelli yelled, dragging the redhead to her feet. "We have to run." Kelly tugged her, running desperately across the snowy ground.

"He's gone…Gone…" Margaret found herself unable to tear her eyes away from Will's watery tomb. The monster was now clawing his way out of the water, his rugged arms tearing their way through the ice as he dragged himself onto the shore.

Kelli looked over her shoulder, still pulling Margaret along with her. She sprinted through the snow, heading for the clearing in the trees that hopefully led to the road.

"He's coming for us now…We're going to die," Margaret whispered, her voice emotionless and robotic.

"Don't say that. Just run," Kelli snapped, peeking over her shoulder once more. The psychopath was behind them, walking slowly and methodically after them. An old machete gleamed in his right hand, its rusted blade catching a ray of morning sunlight.

"I can't run anymore," Margaret was breathing heavily, barely able to keep her legs moving. "I can't."

"You have to, or I'm leaving you behind," Kelli yelled at her, although she could feel her own legs gradually giving up on her. Suddenly, Margaret yelped, tripping forward and landing on her knees.

Kelli kept dragged herself forward, having decided to leave her behind. However, seconds later, her conscious unfortunately decided to kick in.

"Come on, get up," Kelli yelled, turning around and jogging over to help Margaret back up. She glanced up at the lake, which was now deathly silent and still. The maniac had disappeared from behind them, leaving nothing behind but footprints in the snow.

"Is he still coming?" Margaret asked, trying to balance herself on Kelli's shoulder.

"I don't know. He's gone. Come on. Let's keep moving," Kelli looked around, peering into the trees.

"Can we rest for a little while? Please?" Margaret begged.

"No. We don't know where he is. We're almost at the road."

"What if we get there, and he's waiting for us?"

"It'll be fine. We'll flag a car down. Now, move," Kelli demanded, dragging the other girl by the hand. The silence was beginning to unsettle her.

"There won't be any cars around this early in the morning," Margaret shivered. "We're going to die out here in the cold."

"No, we're not. Now, shut up."

"You can't make me."

"I can leave you out here and go off on my own, remember?" Kelli asked, shooting her an angry glare. After only one night with Marge, she already hated her attitudes.

"I'm sorry," Margaret said softly. "But you can't expect me to be optimistic right now."

"That's why I'm telling you to shut up."

"Fine," Margaret said, closing her eyes. She trudged along, her legs barely able to move.

Kelli sighed, finally relaxing a little. She could see the road up ahead, and felt a ping of relief that it had already been plowed. "We're almost out of this….God, what a way to spend Christmas."

"Nobody will believe us….What will we tell them? Some hockey masked killer hunted us all down and murdered us?" Margaret sniffled, tears still rolling down her freezing cheeks. "The police will think we did it."

"I didn't think of that…" Kelli said softly, stopping on the side of the road. She looked both ways, praying silently for a car to come by. "But I don't have a motive….I never met any of you until last night. Besides, there's no evidence against either of us."

"But what will we tell them? There's a monster in the woods? He can't be human. No human could do what he did," Margaret shivered, staring out at the empty street.

"I don't know what we'll tell them, damn it!"

Margaret had once again been tamed, and reduced to staring quietly down at her broken high heels.

"Look…I'm sorry, okay? But I can't take any more of your whining. Now, let's keep walking. Maybe we'll come across someone," Kelli said, starting down the road. She was grateful for the smooth pavement, having spent the last few hours trudging through mounds of thick snow.

"How far is it to the next town?" Margaret asked, following the girl like a lost puppy.

"I don't know."

"We could be going right back toward _him_…He could be down there, waiting for us."

"Just keep walking, and once again, shut up," Kelli sighed, closing her eyes. She hadn't realized how cold she was, her nerves having been dulled by the icy air.

Margaret sighed softly and continued on her way. She wondered if she had gone deaf, given the ethereal silence of the surrounding forest. It was much too quiet for liking.

"Come on, keep up," Kelli called, looking over her shoulder. She thought she saw dim headlights in the distance, but that was nothing more than wishful thinking.

"I'm trying. I can't keep walking in these shoes," Marge huffed, jogging to catch up with the other girl.

"Then why did you wear them?" Kelli asked.

"Well, excuse me. I didn't expect to spend my Christmas Eve running through the woods."

"Shh…" Kelli suddenly froze in her tracks, her entire body tensing. "I think I heard something."

"I don't hear anything," Margaret looked around, her eyes wide with horror. She expected to see the maniac come running out of the trees and drag her away into the bushes.

"Just…Just keep walking," Kelli said, walking again. She was moving faster now, briskly jogging down the lonesome road.

"Yeah…It's your imagination," Margaret nodded, hurrying after her. However, she could hear it too now. The noise was much too similar to footsteps to be comforting.

"Let's run," Kelli suggested, once again quickening her pace.

"Good idea," Margaret nodded, fighting back the urge to scream. She forced her legs to carry her body forward, despite the pain in her feet and thighs.

"I think I see a car," Kelli looked over her shoulder at her companion. However, her eyes widened in terror as she froze and pointed at Margaret with a shaky hand.

"What?" Margaret frowned. "What is it?" However, a large fist clamped over her mouth as the hockey masked executioner emerged from the woods behind her. Kelli knew she should do something, but found herself frozen in shock. Eyes wide, she watched helplessly as Marge desperately struggled with her attacker, her muffled screams barely audible. The murderer used his free hand to raise the machete in the air, allowing it to catch a stray gleam of sun. A lump appeared in the front of Margaret's throat, as the blade pierced through her Adam's Apple, having been shoved through the back of her neck. In the nightmarish moments that followed, blood splashed out of her body like a fountain, splattering across the pavement and snow.

Screaming, Kelli brought her hands to her mouth, stepping slowly backward. She wanted to run, but couldn't tear her eyes away from the horrible spectacle unfolding before her. The maniac withdrew the knife, allowing Margaret to slump forward and land in a heap at his feet. The bloody hockey mask looked upward, setting its sights on its final victim.

Kelli forced herself to turn and run. Reality once again faded away into nothingness. There was nothing left but her, and the steady approach of death itself. She could hear him behind her, moving in for the kill.

"Can I outrun him?" she wondered aloud, looking forward at the seemingly endless stretch of road. "Can I hide?" Although she didn't dare look behind her, she could feel him slowly closing the distance between the hunter and its prey.

Kelli closed her eyes and made the most painful choice of her life. She veered left and hurried into the woods, diving behind a tree. She knew she should've continued to run, but her legs had given up. She had to hide, or die.

She sat down and breathed greedily, trying to catch her breath. From the street, she could hear the monster's slow footsteps. Kelli closed her eyes, silently praying that he would not see her. However, she could hear him step into the snowy woods, his boots plodding heavily through the thick fluff.

Kelli held her breath, feeling around for a weapon. Her fist tightened around a fallen tree limb. Slowly, she crept to her feet, peering out from behind the old oak. She could see her assailant, looking around for her. Her grip tightened on her makeshift protection, her arms ready to swing if the monster came too close

Slowly turning his head, the hunter set his eyes on the tree. He crept forward, knife raised. Kelly screamed as the machete plunged into the tree, inches away from her head. With a sudden burst of adrenaline, she swung the thick branch at the man's head as he pulled his blade from the bark. To her surprise, he crumpled forward from the blow, landing at her feet. His blade landed in the snow, staining it red.

"Is it over?" Kelli asked herself, dropping the stick. Bending down, she slowly reached for the machete. However, the fallen murderer suddenly moved, grasping his hand around her wrist. The other hand moved for the knife, gripping its thick handle

The girl screamed, trying to free herself from her attacker's otherworldly grip. However, she found herself utterly helpless. She could still see the stick lying on the ground, mere inches away from her. With one fluid movement, she scooped it up and slammed it down with her free hand. The hunter released his clamp on her, stunned by the sudden blow. Screaming, Kelli stumbled further into the woods. She knew she was running away from the road, but she didn't dare to turn back.

In a seemingly random fashion, she darted through trees and around rocks, praying her luck would not run out. She didn't even know if he was still following her, and didn't have the courage to turn around and find out.

Suddenly, a clearing seemed to materialize ahead of her. Kelli felt her heart sink as the foliage began to thin. All this time, she'd been going in a circle. She emerged near the dilapidated mess hall of Camp Crystal Lake several seconds later, stepping out beside its old wooden entrance.

Kelli bit her lip, running for the old metal doors. To her relief, they were open. She ducked inside, jogging across the dusty floor and crashing into the kitchen.

"I need to hide. Somewhere. Anywhere," she panted, her lungs burning painfully in her chest. Her eyes came to rest upon the pantry, and she hurriedly pulled open the old wooden door.

She almost screamed as she saw an unfamiliar man inside, his eyes wide in eternal shock. He fell forward, his weight landing on Kelli's tiny frame. Kelli choked as she saw the gleaming knife stuck in his back. He'd been another helpless victim, another unfortunate soul having been unlucky enough to take residence at Camp Crystal Lake the previous evening.

Kelli barely managed to keep the corpse propped up as she moved for the knife, pulling at it with all her might. Thankfully, the bloody kitchen knife slid from the man's back with little trouble. Whimpering, she shoved the body back into the pantry, closing the old wooden door of the stranger's dark tomb.

Suddenly, she could hear the door to the dining hall push open as heavy footsteps filled the building. Kelli ducked behind the kitchen door, clutching her new weapon to her breasts.

The footsteps drew closer, echoing menacingly through structure. Seconds later, the killer threw the kitchen door open, staring around the seemingly empty room. Time once again slowed to a crawl. Kelli raised the knife, swinging it down in a sudden moment of insanity. She could feel it plunge into the nightmare's back, sending him falling forward in a bloodied heap.

"It's finally over. It's over," Kelli breathed, crying. She stared down at the maniac, who was lying on the kitchen floor, still as death.

Kelli walked down the lonely highway, hugging her bloody jacket for warmth. She'd been walking for about fifteen minutes, and wasn't even certain she was going toward civilization.

Seconds later, she could hear a motor in the distance. Kelli turned around to see a weathered old pickup truck speeding down the road.

"Hey! Hey!" she waved her arms, jumping up and down in the middle of the road. "Stop, please!"

The vehicle slowed to a halt, the driver signaling for her to get in from his window. Kelli squinted, but couldn't make out more than a dim figure through the tinted windshield. However, she wasn't about to turn down a ride. She jogged over to the passenger side, pulling open the door and climbing into the warm car.

"Thanks for pulling over. You're my hero," she smiled, looking at the driver. However, her mouth opened into a silent scream as she saw his twisted, rotting face. His eyes bulged as the machete appeared in his hand. Kelli reached for the door, but it was too late. She could feel the blade thrust into her chest, the warm blood trickling down onto her hands. As she slumped forward, the world faded away and her consciousness slowly left her body.

"He's alive," Kelli's eyes shot open, staring timidly around the stark white hospital room. "Huh…"

"Excuse me, ma'am? Who's alive?" a lanky blonde nurse asked from across the bed.

"Where am I?" Kelli asked, trying to sit up. However, her whole body felt in pain and she quickly slumped back down.

"Oh, good, you're awake," a doctor smiled, walking into the tiny room. "You're very lucky, Miss."

"What happened?" Kelli croaked.

"A driver found you unconscious out on the road near Camp Crystal Lake. You're very lucky you didn't freeze to death."

"What about the others?"

"Others?" the balding doctor asked.

"Margaret. Danielle. Will. They're all dead. Still at the camp," Kelli moaned.

"We didn't find any others, ma'am," the doctor shook his head. "We'll try to get into contact with your family. You just rest for now."

"Wait…what about the man?" Kelli asked.

"The man?"

"The killer! The man!"

"We didn't find any man out there, Miss," the doctor frowned.

"Then he's still out there…" Kelli closed her eyes, lying back down. "Waiting…."

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**The End. I hope you enjoyed this story. Forgive the clichéd ending, but it was done in the style of the films, no? Anyway, thanks for reading. **


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